A New RNA Based Drug May Help Lower Heart Risk
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Introduction
Managing cholesterol is key to preventing heart disease. But for people with mixed dyslipidaemia, a condition where both LDL cholesterol and triglycerides are high, standard treatments do not always work well. A new medicine called solbinsiran may offer a fresh approach.
What Is Solbinsiran?
Solbinsiran is an RNA based drug that targets a liver protein called ANGPTL3. This protein plays a role in raising blood fat levels. By blocking it, solbinsiran helps lower several harmful fats in the blood, including LDL (bad cholesterol), triglycerides, and apolipoprotein B (apoB), which are all linked to heart disease risk.
How the Study Was Done
A clinical trial tested solbinsiran in 205 adults with high cholesterol and triglyceride levels. They were already on statin therapy but still had high levels of harmful blood fats. Participants received either a low, medium, or high dose of solbinsiran or a placebo. The drug was injected twice, once at the start and once after three months. Researchers tracked changes in blood fat levels and liver health for nine months.
Key Results
The medium dose of solbinsiran (400 mg) was the most effective:
apoB dropped by 14.3 percent
LDL cholesterol dropped by 16.8 percent
Triglycerides fell by over 50 percent
Liver fat was reduced by 27.6 percent
The higher dose (800 mg) gave similar results but did not lower apoB as effectively. Importantly, liver enzymes and other safety markers stayed mostly within normal ranges, and side effects were generally mild.
What Makes It Different?
Unlike other treatments, solbinsiran may only need to be given once every 3 to 6 months. It also showed a clear effect on reducing liver fat without weight loss. This suggests it may directly target the processes that lead to fatty liver disease and heart problems.
Why This Matters
Many people with diabetes, obesity, or fatty liver disease also struggle with high triglycerides and cholesterol. Even with statins, their heart risk remains high. Solbinsiran could become a helpful add on therapy to lower this residual risk.
It also addresses a major gap in treatment. Existing drugs often lower cholesterol but do not affect triglycerides or liver fat as much. Solbinsiran may do all three, which could be especially helpful in people with complex lipid problems.
Caution and Next Steps
Though results are promising, more research is needed. The study was relatively short, and we still do not know if solbinsiran reduces heart attacks or strokes in the long term. Larger trials are needed to confirm its safety and real world benefits.
Conclusion
Solbinsiran is a new RNA based drug that may help reduce multiple heart risk factors including cholesterol, triglycerides, and liver fat in people with mixed dyslipidaemia. If future studies confirm these findings, this drug could offer a convenient and powerful option for improving heart health in high risk patients. For now, it represents an exciting step forward in cholesterol and liver fat management.